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Kingston RCMP Detachment and Alexandria Bay US Coast Guard form Newly Created St. Lawrence Shiprider

KINGSTON, ON, Aug. 12, 2015 /CNW/ - Kingston Detachment members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) have teamed with Alexandria Bay Station members of the US Coast Guard to form a permanent Integrated Cross-Border Maritime Law Enforcement Operations, informally known as St. Lawrence Shiprider. They will be operating primarily in the Thousand Islands area of the St. Lawrence River.

St. Lawrence Shiprider vessels are crewed by both RCMP and US Coast Guard members who are specially trained and cross-designated to enforce safe boating regulations and federal criminal laws on shared Canada / US waterways. In Canadian waters, the RCMP will lead patrols but in US waters, the US Coast Guard will lead. This ensures the sovereign rights of citizens from both countries are respected while the Shiprider vessel operates freely on both sides of the border.

Cpl. Sean O'Brien (RCMP) of the St. Lawrence Shiprider says that "This newly formed St. Lawrence Shiprider team joins the RCMP's Marine Security Enforcement Team (MSET), Canada Border Services Agency, OPP, US Coast Guard, US Border Patrol, Customs and Border Protection, and several state and local law enforcement agencies working on the St. Lawrence River to keep our international border safe. This is one of three Shiprider teams operating in Ontario; the other two are located in Windsor and Niagara Falls."

The Shiprider program was piloted and evaluated in other areas of the Canada/US Border from 2005 and became law in 2012.

Anyone with information regarding criminal activity is encouraged to contact their local police, the RCMP at 1-800-387-0020 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS. Non-urgent information can also be emailed to RCMP.OStLawrenceShipRider.GRC@rcmp-grc.gc.ca.